Al-Shabaab militants have stormed Afrik hotel near the heavily fortified Aden Adde airport in Mogadishu on Sunday.
The militants detonated a bomb before forcing themselves inside the hotel and started shooting randomly at people according to witnesses.
Heavy gunfight is ongoing as secirity forces are battling the militants.
Among those rescued are former State Minister for defense Yusuf Mohamed Indha adde, ex military commander Mohamed Nur Galal the hotel owner Hussein Goley as rescue operation is still underway.
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Ministry of Information spokesman Ismael Mukhtar Omar said the militants stormed the hotel at around 5:00 pm local time.
“Al Shabaab militants have attack Afrik hotel at around 5:00 pm,” he said.
“Security forces arrived at the scene of the attack and rescued some of those trapped inside.”
The spokesman did not mention the number of casualities.
Al-Shabaab militants claimed responsibilty of the attack in a statement published in Ash Shahada News one of the militant group’s affiliateed websites.